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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. game — a match
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. board — to get on
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. stem — to come from
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. scale — in music
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wind — moving air
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cap — of ice
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cap — a hat
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. scale — size or range
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. cap — a lid
  23. game — wild animals
  24. board — a committee

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com